by smaclaughlin | Jun 14, 2016 | bullying, disaster, discipline, emotional intelligence, gender bias, hope for the future, race, resources, safety, sexuality, violence, white privelege
It is hard to parent this week. It’s hard to focus. Difficult to not check my phone for updates and news conferences. Tricky to keep from crying and being otherwise emotionally snarled. It is so hard to stay relaxed about our world and what the future may look...
by smaclaughlin | Apr 30, 2016 | anger, brain development, brain science, communication, discipline, emotional intelligence, handling meltdowns, limits, modeling
My near eight-year-old has been raised in an emotionally supportive, non-punitive home. He has never been spanked, put in time-out, or given arbitrary consequences. His dad and I infrequently raise our voices in anger, and have always apologized when we do. High value...
by smaclaughlin | Oct 14, 2015 | discipline, emotional intelligence, perspective, power, problem-solving
“He’s always grabbing for power,” “She wants to control everything,” “I have to show them who’s boss!” I hear statements like this from parents a lot. Our cultural environment doesn’t help; with its unrealistic expectations and tendency to judge how well a parent...
by smaclaughlin | Aug 12, 2015 | brain development, discipline, power, problem-solving
“Instead of assuming a power stance, a parent can become a problem-solving facilitator.” – Janet Gonzalez-Mena I’ve written about power before, but it keeps coming up. I get calls from parents who want help with discipline, handling meltdowns, and...
by smaclaughlin | Jul 5, 2015 | anger, communication, connection parenting, discipline, emotional intelligence, handling meltdowns
Feelings and emotions: What do they do? Why are they important? From a neurological perspective, emotions are messages. Feelings are essentially our brains and bodies in communication with each other. If we feel scared, our brains sends chemicals into our bodies that...
by smaclaughlin | May 29, 2015 | communication, developmental expectations, discipline, problem-solving
“Thanks for not throwing that bowl at me kiddo!” Lest you think I have some simple formula for creating Stepford children, let me share a little parenting scenario with you. First, some back story: Like many parents of school-aged children, in my...
